Four OC alumni elected to state legislature

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Four OC alumni will represent their districts in the Oklahoma state legislature next year.

Newly-elected state representative and 2012 OC graduate Tess Teague has public service in her blood. Her mother was an elementary school teacher and her father is a retired Army officer. During her time at OC, she spent several summers doing mission work in Africa.

Teague graduated from OC with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. For five years, she has served as the Legislative Report Manager for the Journal Record’s Legislative Reporting Service at the Oklahoma Capitol. Throughout her time there, she oversaw coverage of the entire legislative process. She has also worked in the office of Gov. Mary Fallin and the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C.

Teague earned 65 percent of the popular vote to win the seat for House District 101, which covers portions of Choctaw, Midwest City and Oklahoma City.

Tahlequah native and 1990 OC grad Mike Osburn is the new state representative for House District 81, the district Oklahoma Christian resides in. Osburn gathered 62 percent of the vote.

Osburn graduated magna cum laude from OC with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. He attended the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he received awards for professional responsibility and ethics.

He served as Gov. Frank Keating’s campaign manager and deputy chief of staff. He also served as state director for U.S. Senator Don Nickles before being named state director for Americans for Prosperity, Oklahoma. In 2006, he began a consulting firm specializing in public affairs, association management and event management.

Osburn also worked as the president’s chief of staff at Oklahoma Christian, overseeing and directing the development, public relations and alumni relations departments.

A 1997 OC graduate, Mike Sanders ran unopposed in House District 59. A native of western Oklahoma, Sanders graduated from Oklahoma Christian with a degree in history and pre-law before attending Georgetown University to earn his master’s degree in government.

Sanders worked on George W. Bush’s presidential campaign and has served in the Oklahoma State House since his election in 2008. His 2012 election set a state record when he received 95 percent of the vote from his district.

OC’s fourth alum to secure a position in the Oklahoma legislature is Dr. George Young. Young earned a master of arts degree in ministry from Oklahoma Christian in 1998, graduating magna cum laude, and a master of business administration in 2006, graduating cum laude.

First elected in 2014, Young will continue to represent House District 99, which covers portions of Nichols Hills and Oklahoma City. He won reelection with an overwhelming 81 percent of the vote.

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Young retired in 2013 after serving as a pastor for 30 years. In addition to representing his district, he serves as chief executive officer of Young Management Consulting, a mediation and nonprofit management and leadership development firm.